Peer Reviewed

For several years now, suggestions about an Al Qaeda recruitment network in Europe have preoccupied the public and officials alike. More recently, however, a new terminology has emerged in the counter-terrorism dictionary -- 'Iraqi recruitment network in Europe'.

The 11 case studies featured illustrate how local innovations in participatory natural resource management can strengthen livelihoods, build capacity for local governance, and spark policy change.

Tobacco is a crop as addictive to growers in the developing world as it is to any user. For them, dependency is economic rather than physical or psychological – but while ready cash is attractive, farmers are beginning to realize that growing tobacco is threatening the health of their families, their land, and their local ecosystems.

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Microscopy: Microscopes offer chemical ID, Immunology: Silkworm virus sussed, Developmental biology: Skin deep, Materials: How flat can flat get?, Organization in the zebrafish spinal cord

18-year-old’s award-winning research project brings her to the Nobel Prize ceremonies; Other students inspired to take up research scholarships

A research group headed by Takashi Tsuji of the Tissue Engineering Research Center has developed a new cell manipulation technology whereby organ germs are artificially recombined from single cells. This technology has the potential for application to artificial "tooth regeneration" and "hair regeneration".

Los Baños, Philippines – The important role, and impact, of women in rice research has been highlighted with the awarding of the L'Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science awards for 2007

Water problems in the Middle East region are diverse and changing as the gap between supply and demand is widening. Water issues are linked to scarcity, misdistribution, and sharing. The paper addresses many important aspects along with identifying relevant Islamic laws and principles to establish binding agreements among riparian states.

The response to drug combinations critically depends on how their biological targets are connected, according to a study published online in Molecular Systems Biology this week. Understanding how multi-drug combinations work is vital in medicine, in order to rationalize their use and discover novel targets.

Making a splash, or not, Ballistic breakthrough, NanoBuds are here, Genetic variant associated with triglyceride levels, Genetic variant protects against four infectious diseases, Potential therapeutic target in Down syndrome

The National Institute of Physics, University of the Philippines (UP) has miniaturized the Oblation (UP’s trademark) as part of its project on micro-fabrication of functional micro-devices using non-linear multi-photon absorption. The research project aims to use micro-structures as components in an integrated miniaturized laboratory.

In the last quarter of 2006, Universiti Teknologi Mara took part in exhibition in Brussels, Nuremberg, London and Seoul and won numerous award. These award winning research projects are listed here.

Summaries of other newsworthy papers include Glaciology: Subglacial lakes discovered in East Antarctica, Insight: Getting under the skin, Chemistry: Halogen soup, Palaeoceanography: Feedback mechanisms on climate change and Animal behaviour: Planning ahead

Research on detection of microscopic defects in integrated circuits at the National Institute of Physics, University of the Philippines has been selected by Optical Society of America as one of the most exciting to emerge in 2006.

In his plenary address at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in San Francisco, United States, TWAS Executive Director M.H.A. Hassan illustrated the growing gap between scientifically advanced and scientifically less privileged developing nations.

The papers include - And God Walks in the Suburbs; A Diasporic Perspective of Filipino Nurse Migration to the United States; Globalization of Care and the Position of the Filipino Workers; Spectacles of Masculinity and the Commerce of Men’s Bodies

Scientists have for the first time successfully replaced natural teeth in mice with teeth that were created in a Petri dish from single cells. The experiment is described online this week in Nature Methods.

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Making room for others, Abnormal cell migration and Splicing out of control

A controversial cover of The Economist last year asked, with not much self-reflexive irony, “Who killed the newspaper?” The suggestion of death seems, in hindsight, grossly exaggerated. Asia Media Report: A crisis within explores a more specific and far-reaching concern: the death of news as we know it.

A discovery that enables the most economically important fruit fly species to be identified from their DNA ‘signature’ could avert future devastating fruit fly outbreaks, according to scientists from the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI).

Next week, some of Australia’s and the world’s foremost experts in the field of rust diseases will be in Sydney to attend a symposium on the topic – “Rust Diseases: Threats to Global Food Security in the Context of Climate Change.”

Nature Publishing Group (NPG) and AstraZeneca are delighted to announce the launch of Nature China (www.naturechina.com), a new web based publication promoting the best scientific research published in mainland China and Hong Kong.

The fact remains that the Afghan case is a test for NATO's credibility. With a 35,000-strong force currently deployed in Afghanistan, the ISAF is attempting to pre-empt a strong Taliban offensive in the coming spring months.

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Astronomy: Forming the darkest galaxies in the Universe, Evolutionary psychology: Family ties, Particle acceleration: Wave up and Ecology: Conservation strategy rethink

Most Indians not working in agriculture rely on the country’s large “traditional” or informal sector for their livelihood. Those employed in the country’s “modern” economy work in small firms, with fewer than six employees, or in large establishments of 300 or more workers. In between is a yawning divide.

The book suggests that the US agenda in Iraq was about oil, but not about oil in the simple sense many believed. This war (2003) was not an issue of corporate greed but about geopolitical power above all.

The Nano Science Technology Research Center was selected as an Open Research Center Project of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sport, Science, and Technology in 2002. Since then, it has been engaged in pioneering nanoscience and technology projects.

Papermaking in Malaysia is essentially based on recycled fibers. One of the major issues faced by mills using recycled fibers is the diminishing strength of papers with recycling. Palmcel introduces a new class of biodegradable chemicals derived from oil palm residues which can augment both the dry and wet strength of papers.

In utero protein regulation, Common genetic variant protects against breast cancer, Large-scale survey of mutations in cancer, Sleep deprivation impairs subsequent learning, Human adult stem cells can regenerate muscle, Viral highways: spreading from cell to cell, Finding phosphates on proteins

Russia is positioning itself as a potential contributor of diplomatic services to stabilize the region. In the process, it is unlikely to challenge the American hegemony in the region, but will strive to serve reminders to the regional countries and the United States that it is capable of plugging several gaps.